1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for detecting food intake by a human and activating an implanted behavior control unit in response to the detection.
The present invention also relates to a system for monitoring a location of a human by using a transmitter implanted in the human. The system may further monitor the presence of a predetermined chemical substance in the human by using an implanted substance monitoring unit. The system also controls the behavior of the human based on the monitoring by using an implanted receiver that receives a command, from a central processor such as a computer system that is analyzing the person""s location or substance use, to activate an implanted behavior control unit that causes unpleasant effects in the human.
2. Description of Related Art
The overcrowding of prisons has led to the creation and use of alternative sentencing programs by the court systems. One such alternative sentence imposed is confining a prisoner in his or her home or in some other non-prison setting. This approach has led to the creation of remote monitoring systems that can determine from a centralized location whether the prisoner has left the assigned confinement area.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,377 to Fuller et al. is directed to a remote confinement system having an external transmitter fixed at the prisoner""s remote confinement area, a receiver/relaying unit and a central office computer. The central office computer identifies the prisoner and monitors the presence of a prisoner at the confinement area using information transmitted to the computer from the transmitter. The Fuller Patent also discusses other xe2x80x9chome arrestxe2x80x9d systems that attach bracelet radio transmitters to the prisoners. These bracelets cause an alarm to be sent to the central monitoring office via a phone transponder if the prisoner strays too far from his or her home.
One drawback of the system of the Fuller Patent and the home arrest systems disclosed therein is their fixed transmitter, which is unable to provide the monitor of the system with the prisoner""s location outside the confinement area, since the transmitter merely signals his or her absence from that area. Thus, if the prisoner leaves the confinement area, his or her whereabouts will be unknown. A fixed transmitter also limits the number of confinement areas for a prisoner, as each confinement area would require installation of a transmitter. Thus, a need exists for an ambulatory transmitter that positively informs the system monitor of the location of the prisoner over a wide area so as to provide gap-free surveillance. Further, by providing coverage outside of the confinement area, an extended xe2x80x9cconfinementxe2x80x9d area, including, for example, the prisoner""s office or school, can be granted to the prisoner, which allows him or her to rehabilitate while serving his or her sentence.
Another drawback of the remote monitoring systems of the Fuller Patent is that they do not actively deter the prisoner from leaving his or her confinement area. Moreover, if the prisoner leaves the confinement area, the systems do not actively urge the prisoner to return to the confinement area, forcing the police to track down the prisoner and physically return him or her to the area. This is not only dangerous for the police and general public, but also expensive. Further, while the police are doing this, they cannot otherwise protect and serve the community. Thus, a behavior control system is needed that actively deters the prisoner from leaving the confined area, and if he or she leaves it nonetheless, urges the prisoner to return to the area.
The need for an ambulatory transmitter generally requires that the transmitter used to transmit locating signals and information regarding the prisoner""s identity be externally worn by or implanted into the prisoner. Besides the above-described electronic bracelets mentioned in the Fuller Patent, externally-worn transmitters have been used to provide location signals for monitoring the locations of humans as discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,027,314 (Linwood et al.), No. 5,153,584 (Engira) and No. 5,218,344 (Ricketts). For example, the personnel monitoring system of the Ricketts Patent uses portable transmitter/receivers (transceivers), each of which is worn on the wrist of a person such as a prisoner within a correctional facility. Stationary transceivers interrogate all the portable transceivers, of which only the ones configured to respond to the interrogation signal reply. The portable transceivers respond to the stationary transceivers, which in turn demodulate and relay the response to a computer that determines the location and identity of each person.
Externally-worn transmitters such as those described in the Ricketts Patent, however, have several disadvantages when used in a monitoring system for monitoring prisoners outside a confined setting. They may be accidently or purposely damaged or altered. They may be removed by the prisoner and further, placed on a substitute for the prisoner to deceive the monitor.
Implanted transmitters, however, cannot so easily be damaged, altered or removed. But implanted transmitters have been primarily used for transmitting physiological parameters to a remote monitor, either in animals (U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,821 to Bowers) or humans (U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,982 to Llinas et al., No. 5,252,962 to Urbas et al. and No. 5,314,450 to Thompson), rather than transmitting signals for locating humans.
Other alternative sentences may impose certain compliance conditions on a home arrest prisoner or probationer. One such condition is ordering the prisoner to keep away from a xe2x80x9cvictimxe2x80x9d (a protective order). A system has been created to remotely monitor compliance with a protective order (U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,227 to Carroll et al.). In the Carroll Patent, the victim keeps a sensing unit near his or her home to electronically detect the wrongful presence of the prisoner and transmit the same to a central station. Like the remote monitoring systems described above, however, the transmitting unit is stationary and thus limits the area in which the victim can safely remain.
Another condition imposed on a probationer or a home arrest prisoner is to refrain from the use of alcohol or illegal drugs. The above-described remote monitoring system of the Fuller Patent, for example, also monitors the prisoner for use of alcohol and drugs. The system includes breath alcohol and body fluid testers for determining compliance by the prisoner of the imposed substance abuse restrictions. The testers, however, are not ambulatory, and the prisoner cannot be monitored outside the fixed tester and transmitter location. This system also does not constantly test the prisoner, and thus even if the prisoner faithfully stays within the confinement area, there can be long periods of times when the prisoner""s alcohol or drug use is not being monitored. Further, because the alcohol and body fluid testers are external to the prisoner, other persons can substitute their xe2x80x9ccleanxe2x80x9d breath or fluid sample for that of the prisoner. These shortcomings allow the system to be abused. Although the system attempts to prevent this abuse by various identification measures, these methods are not foolproof and add expense and complexity to the system.
Therefore, a monitoring system having an ambulatory substance monitoring unit is needed that can monitor the use of one or more substances by the prisoner at most times and over a wide area, and does not permit substitution of another person for the prisoner or probationer. Of course, such a substance monitoring system can also be used to monitor the types and amounts of various substances present in subjects of scientific experiments without requiring the subjects to remain at a laboratory. Further, similar to the above-described need for a behavior control system for deterring a prisoner from leaving the confinement area and for urging his or her return if he or she does leave, a behavior control system is also needed for deterring a prisoner""s use of unauthorized substances and for encouraging him or her to stop using the substances if he or she does use them.
A substance monitoring system generally requires the use of either an external substance monitor, with its above-described drawbacks, or an implanted monitor. Implanted monitors have been generally used for measuring physiological or biochemical parameters, for example, as described in the Bowers Patent (implanted sensors in animals for sensing blood chemistry parameters such as pH, PCO2 and PO2), the Llinas Patent (implanted sensor for measuring biochemicals) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,950 to Fischell (implanted glucose sensor), but not for internal monitoring of alcohol and illegal drugs.
A monitoring system may be xe2x80x9copen-loopxe2x80x9d, that is, information flows only from the monitored person to the monitoring station. However, if behavior control based on monitoring of that person is desired, commands must be sent in a xe2x80x9cclosed-loopxe2x80x9d manner from the monitor back to the monitored person. If this feedback is done via a radio transmitter, the commands are then received by an implanted or externally-worn radio receiver. Examples of externally-worn radio receivers are discussed in the Ricketts and Engira Patents, and implanted receivers are discussed in the Urbas, Thompson, Bowers and Llinas Patents.
Further, to control behavior, either external or internal behavior control units are required to act on command. The abdominal muscle firmness alarm of U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,921 to Zigunfus and the reminder and enforcer orthodontic apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,111 to Knierim are two examples of external behavior control units. An implanted behavior control unit is discussed in the Fischell Patent wherein a signal is transmitted to an intracorporeal module that applies an aversive electric shock to a nerve to inhibit self-destructive behavior.
Implanted receivers, substance monitoring units and behavior control units are preferable over external devices for generally the same reasons as an implanted transmitter is preferable over an external transmitter. However, none of the above-described systems have used one or more of these implanted devices in a system that can effectively monitor or control the behavior of remotely confined prisoners or probationers.
Another problem faced by many people is excessive weight. However, many people who suffer from excessive weight find it difficult to alter their eating habits.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an open-loop internal monitoring system that overcomes the above-described drawbacks of previous monitoring systems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a closed-loop internal monitoring system that can change the transmission parameters of an implanted transmitter.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a closed-loop internal monitoring and behavior control system.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a system that can detect food intake in a human, and control behavior in accordance with the detected food intake.
In view of the foregoing objects, in one aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a food intake detector that is configured to detect food intake by a human, a stimulus applying unit that is configured to apply a stimulus to the human, and a control unit that is configured to cause the stimulus applying unit to apply a stimulus to the human in accordance with detection by the food intake detector of food intake by the human.
In still another aspect of the invention, a system includes behavior detection means implanted in a human for detecting behavior of the human, reaction causing means implanted in the human for causing a reaction in the human, and control means for controlling the reaction causing means to cause the reaction in the human in accordance with detection by the behavior detection means of the behavior of the human. The behavior involves intake of food into the body of the human, and the reaction causing means includes electrical stimulation means.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a system is provided that includes behavior detection means implanted in a human for detecting behavior of the human, reaction causing means implanted in the human for causing a reaction in the human, and control means for controlling said reaction causing means to cause the reaction in the human in accordance with detection by said behavior detection means of the behavior of the human. The behavior comprises drug intake by the human.
In still another aspect of the invention, a system is provided that includes behavior detection means for detecting behavior of the human, reaction causing means for causing a reaction in the human, and control means for controlling the reaction causing means to cause the reaction in the human in accordance with detection by the behavior detection means of the behavior of the human. The behavior involves intake of food into the body of the human, and the reaction causing means includes chemical dispensing means.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an open-loop internal monitoring system is provided that includes a plurality of internal radio transmitters, each internal radio transmitter being implanted in a human for transmitting a plurality of signal pulses, each signal pulse being encoded with at least information uniquely identifying one internal radio transmitter, a plurality of external radio receivers, each external radio receiver for receiving each of the plurality of signal pulses transmitted by each of the plurality of internal radio transmitters and for generating a plurality of received signal data, each received signal datum corresponding to each received signal pulse and including at least a time-of-arrival of the received signal pulse and the internal radio transmitter identifying information decoded from the received signal pulse, a central processor for (1) estimating a plurality of locations for each internal radio transmitter, and thus for each human, from the pluralities of received signal data generated by the plurality of external radio receivers, (2) determining an event of whether at least one of the plurality of locations is outside a predetermined area assigned to any one of the humans and stored in the central processor, and (3) notifying a monitor of the central processor upon occurrence of the event, and a plurality of relays, each relay for relaying the plurality of received signal data from each external radio receiver to the central processor.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an open-loop internal monitoring system is provided that includes a plurality of internal radio transmitters, each internal radio transmitter being implanted in a human for transmitting a plurality of signal pulses, each signal pulse being encoded with at least information uniquely identifying one internal radio transmitter, a plurality of substance monitoring units, each substance monitoring unit implanted in a different one of the humans and electrically connected to the implanted internal radio transmitter for detecting the presence of a predetermined amount of a predetermined substance in the one human, wherein said plurality of signal pulses are further encoded with information regarding the detection of the predetermined substance, a plurality of external radio receivers, each external radio receiver for receiving each of the plurality of signal pulses transmitted by each of the plurality of internal radio transmitters and for generating a plurality of received signal data, each received signal datum corresponding to each received signal pulse and including at least the internal radio transmitter identifying information decoded from the received signal pulse and the substance detection information, a central processor for notifying a monitor upon occurrence of the detection of the predetermined substance in any one of the humans as determined from the pluralities of received signal data from the plurality of external radio receivers, and a plurality of relays, each relay for relaying the plurality of received signal data from each external radio receiver to the central processor.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a closed-loop internal monitoring system is provided that includes a plurality of internal radio transmitters, each internal radio transmitter being implanted in a human for transmitting a plurality of signal pulses and having a plurality of transmitting parameters, each signal pulse being encoded with at least information uniquely identifying one internal radio transmitter, a plurality of external radio receivers, each external radio receiver for receiving each of the plurality of signal pulses transmitted by each of the plurality of internal radio transmitters and for generating a plurality of received signal data, each received signal datum corresponding to each received signal pulse and including at least a time-of-arrival of the received signal pulse and the internal radio transmitter identifying information decoded from the received signal pulse, a central processor for (1) estimating a plurality of locations for each internal radio transmitter, and thus for each human, from the pluralities of received signal data generated by the plurality of external radio receivers, (2) determining an event of whether at least one of the plurality of locations is outside a predetermined area assigned to any one of the humans and stored in the central processor, and (3) notifying a monitor of the central processor upon occurrence of the event, a plurality of relays, each relay for relaying the plurality of received signal data from each external radio receiver to the central processor, a plurality of internal radio receivers, each internal radio receiver implanted in a different one of the humans and electrically connected to the implanted internal radio transmitter, for receiving a command generated by the central processor, wherein the command includes information uniquely identifying one of the internal radio receivers and, upon receipt by the one internal radio receiver, causes the connected internal radio transmitter to change at least one of the plurality of transmitting parameters, an external radio transmitter for transmitting the command to the plurality of internal radio receivers, and a second relay for relaying the command from the central processor to the external radio transmitter.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a closed-loop internal monitoring and behavior control system is provided that includes a plurality of internal radio transmitters, each internal radio transmitter being implanted in a human for transmitting a plurality of signal pulses, each signal pulse being encoded with at least information uniquely identifying one internal radio transmitter, a plurality of external radio receivers, each external radio receiver for receiving each of the plurality of signal pulses transmitted by each of the plurality of internal radio transmitters and for generating a plurality of received signal data, each received signal datum corresponding to each received signal pulse and including at least a time-of-arrival of the received signal pulse and the internal radio transmitter identifying information decoded from the received signal pulse, a central processor for (1) estimating a plurality of locations for each internal radio transmitter, and thus for each human, from the pluralities of received signal data generated by the plurality of external radio receivers, (2) determining an event of whether at least one of the plurality of locations is outside a predetermined area assigned to any one of the humans and stored in said central processor, and (3) generating a command upon occurrence of the event, wherein the command includes information uniquely identifying the human for which said event occurred, a plurality of relays, each relay for relaying the plurality of received signal data from each external radio receiver to the central processor, a plurality of behavior control units, each behavior control unit implanted in a different one of the humans and electrically connected to the implanted internal radio transmitter for causing an unpleasant reaction in the human upon receipt of the command, a plurality of internal radio receivers, each internal radio receiver implanted in a different one of the humans and electrically connected to the implanted behavior control unit, for receiving the command generated by the central processor and, if the command is intended for the one human as determined by the unique human identification information, relaying the command to the connected behavior control unit, an external radio transmitter for transmitting the command to the plurality of internal radio receivers, and a second relay for relaying the command from the central processor to the external radio transmitter.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a closed-loop internal monitoring and behavior control system is provided that includes a plurality of internal radio transmitters, each internal radio transmitter being implanted in a human for transmitting a plurality of signal pulses, each signal pulse being encoded with at least information uniquely identifying one internal radio transmitter, a plurality of substance monitoring units, each substance monitoring unit implanted in a different one of the humans and electrically connected to the implanted internal radio transmitter for detecting the presence of a predetermined amount of a predetermined substance in the one human, wherein the plurality of signal pulses are further encoded with information regarding the detection of the predetermined substance, a plurality of external radio receivers, each external radio receiver for receiving each of the plurality of signal pulses transmitted by each of the plurality of internal radio transmitters and for generating a plurality of received signal data, each received signal datum corresponding to each received signal pulse and including at least the internal radio transmitter identifying information decoded from the received signal pulse and the substance detection information, a central processor for generating a command upon occurrence of the detection of the predetermined substance in the human as determined from the pluralities of received signal data from the plurality of external radio receivers, wherein the command includes information uniquely identifying the human in which the detection occurred, a plurality of relays, each relay for relaying the plurality of received signal data from each the external radio receiver to the central processor, a plurality of behavior control units, each behavior control unit implanted in a different one of the humans and electrically connected to the implanted internal radio transmitter for causing an unpleasant reaction in the one human upon receipt of the command, a plurality of internal radio receivers, each internal radio receiver implanted in a different one of the humans and electrically connected to the implanted behavior control unit, for receiving the command generated by the central processor and, if the command is intended for the one human as determined by the unique human identification information, relaying the command to the connected behavior control unit, an external radio transmitter for transmitting the command to the plurality of internal radio receivers, and a second relay for relaying the command from the central processor to the external radio transmitter.